By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Under the theme “In Pursuit of the Bahamian Dream,” Pastors Mario and Erica Moxey of Bahamas Harvest Church in New Providence, Bahamas, used The Bahamas’ recent 45th independence anniversary celebration to highlight the accomplishments of four Bahamians who came from humble beginnings and rose to the top of their professions as well as contributed greatly to the development of The Bahamas.
With July 10 being the actual date that The Bahamas was granted its independence by Great Britain, the four accomplished Bahamians – Dr. Leon L. Higgs, Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Dr. Locksley Munroe and Pastor Myles Munroe — were each honoured on separate Sundays during the month of July.
Dr. Higgs, who has had a distinguished career as an educator and is now a published author, is the first distinguished native of The Bahamas’ largest island, also called “The Big Yard,” to be featured in a series of articles that BAHAMAS CHRONICLE will published on NOTED SONS OF ANDROS. As a proud Androsian myself, I have closely followed Dr. Higgs’ career and I am extremely proud of his accomplishments.
Dr. Higgs was honoured on Sunday, July 22, during the 11 a.m. service at the Western Campus of Bahamas Harvest Church, located at RND Plaza, John F. Kennedy Drive. According to its website, Bahamas Harvest Church also has an East Campus on Prince Charles Drive.
Born at Deep Creek, South Andros, on May 15, 1948, after completing his basic primary education, Leon Higgs moved to Nassau, where he attended the Nassau Technical Institute and worked for three years before leaving The Bahamas for the United States.
With his mind set on becoming an educator, his pursuit of the necessary qualifications to achieve his goal could be used as template for dedication and commitment to obtaining a good education.
Leon Higgs completed high school at the age of 21 before pursuing his tertiary education, subsequently receiving his bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska; his master’s degree in Business Education from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois; and the Doctor of Philosophy in Administration of Higher Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.
In 1975, Dr. Higgs was among the founding members of the newly formed College (now University) of The Bahamas. He served as a lecturer in the Business Division, where he eventually became the Chair.
In 1981, Dr. Higgs left the College of The Bahamas for the United States, where he served in the field of Higher Education for many years before returning to the College of The Bahamas in 1998 as its President and CEO. Dr. Higgs, with the assistance of his faculty and staff, was responsible for laying the foundation for the modern University of The Bahamas.
While in the United States, Dr. Higgs served as an Assistant Professor of Business in the School of Business at Loma Linda University in Riverside, California. He also served as the department Chair of Business and Information Systems at Oakwood College (Now Oakwood University) in Huntsville Alabama; Dean of Business and Office Administration at Riverside Community College in Riverside, California; and Executive Vice President at San Bernardino Valley College in San Bernardino, California.
Upon returning to The Bahamas in 1993, Dr. Higgs assumed the position of Assistant General Manager for Human resources at the Bahamas Water and Sewerage Corporation before moving to The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) as the Director of Training. After BTVI it was on to the College of The Bahamas and then the Ministry of Education and Training, from where he retired in 2013 as the Director of Higher Education and Lifelong Learning.
From 2013 to 2017, Dr. Higgs was a Consultant in the Ministry of Education, where he served as the Secretary General for The Bahamas National Commission for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In September 2017, Dr. Higgs published his autobiography, “Barefoot to Boardroom”, which is available at local booksellers in Nassau, and atleonhiggs.com, WestBow Press, Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles.
